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Gone quiet · last update Dec 5, 2025 / Donald Trump

The 2025 government shutdown, the longest in US history

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

The federal government shut down on October 1, 2025, after Senate Democrats refused to pass a funding bill without an extension of expiring health care subsidies, and it stayed closed for 43 days, the longest shutdown in US history.[1][2][3] Federal workers went unpaid, the Trump administration began laying some off, food aid for millions was interrupted, and air traffic controller shortages forced the FAA to cut flights.[4][5][6] It ended on November 12, when the House passed a Senate deal that eight Democrats had voted for, without the health care extension Democrats had sought.[7][3]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

Federal workers went unpaid, the Trump administration began laying some off, food aid for millions was interrupted, and air traffic controller shortages forced the FAA to cut flights.[4][5][6] It ended on November 12, when the House passed a Senate deal that eight Democrats had voted for, without the health care extension Democrats had sought.[7][3]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-08-25 (UTC): 7%, 14 of 199 tracked outlets (2 left, 10 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-09-01 (UTC): 5%, 8 of 177 tracked outlets (4 left, 4 center, 0 right)Week of 2025-09-08 (UTC): 5%, 11 of 214 tracked outlets (5 left, 5 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-09-15 (UTC): 10%, 19 of 191 tracked outlets (4 left, 11 center, 4 right)Week of 2025-09-22 (UTC): 23%, 44 of 189 tracked outlets (14 left, 20 center, 10 right)Week of 2025-09-29 (UTC): 43%, 86 of 202 tracked outlets (25 left, 31 center, 30 right)Week of 2025-10-06 (UTC): 45%, 81 of 181 tracked outlets (24 left, 42 center, 15 right)Week of 2025-10-13 (UTC): 29%, 52 of 182 tracked outlets (15 left, 27 center, 10 right)Week of 2025-10-20 (UTC): 28%, 55 of 194 tracked outlets (13 left, 29 center, 13 right)Week of 2025-10-27 (UTC): 56%, 98 of 174 tracked outlets (38 left, 41 center, 19 right)Week of 2025-11-03 (UTC): 48%, 101 of 209 tracked outlets (31 left, 51 center, 19 right)Week of 2025-11-10 (UTC): 55%, 103 of 188 tracked outlets (29 left, 51 center, 23 right)Week of 2025-11-17 (UTC): 22%, 42 of 189 tracked outlets (8 left, 27 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): 4%, 7 of 177 tracked outlets (1 left, 5 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 9 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (14 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Dec 1, 20251517 of 1774%
Nov 17, 2025827742 of 18922%
Nov 10, 2025295123103 of 18855%
Nov 3, 2025315119101 of 20948%
Oct 27, 202538411998 of 17456%
Oct 20, 202513291355 of 19428%
Oct 13, 202515271052 of 18229%
Oct 6, 202524421581 of 18145%
Sep 29, 202525313086 of 20243%
Sep 22, 202514201044 of 18923%
Sep 15, 2025411419 of 19110%
Sep 8, 202555111 of 2145%
Sep 1, 20254408 of 1775%
Aug 25, 2025210214 of 1997%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Dec 4, 2025 · first reported · Headline from KOB 4

    FAA launches investigation into US airlines over flight cuts ordered during the shutdown

Background

Government funding was set to run out at the end of September 2025. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that Democrats would force a shutdown unless Republicans accepted their health care demands,[8] centered on extending enhanced subsidies for Affordable Care Act coverage.[9] The House passed a short-term funding bill in September, but its prospects in the Senate looked dim.[10] President Donald Trump canceled a meeting with Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries before later meeting with the four top congressional leaders,[11][12] and the White House budget office told agencies to draft plans for mass firings.[13] The health care fight was among the most intractable issues in Congress, the AP reported.[14]

Read the full background (3 more paragraphs)

The shutdown began on October 1 with no end in sight.[1][15] Democrats, in a rare moment of unity, rejected the Republican bill again and again,[16][17] while Trump's administration blamed them in official government warnings.[18] The White House paused $2.1 billion for Chicago infrastructure projects,[19] suggested furloughed workers might not get back pay[20] and began layoffs, planning to cut more than 4,100 workers from seven departments,[4][21] until a federal judge blocked the mass firings.[22][23] Trump directed the Pentagon to use "all available funds" to pay troops.[24] The shutdown delayed the monthly jobs report and other economic data,[25][26] and the Congressional Budget Office estimated it would cost up to $14 billion in lost economic output.[27]

The longer it ran, the more it reached ordinary households. The administration said it would not use a contingency fund to pay November food stamp benefits,[28] and California and 20 other states sued.[29] A federal judge ruled the cutoff "likely unlawful,"[30] the administration said SNAP would be partially funded,[31] and another judge ordered full payment, which the Supreme Court put on hold.[32][33] Head Start preschools closed,[34] and the IRS furloughed nearly half its staff.[35] As air traffic controllers missed paychecks, delays spread,[36] and the FAA ordered flight capacity cut by 10% at 40 major airports.[6][37]

The break came in November. After Democrats' wins in that month's elections,[38] and with Trump pressing Republican senators,[39] eight Democratic senators voted with Republicans on a deal to reopen the government; they defended their votes, while others in the party, and the comedian Jon Stewart, criticized them.[7][40] The Senate passed the bill on November 10 without the subsidy extension,[9] and the House passed it on November 12, sending it to Trump.[3] States scrambled to send full SNAP benefits,[41] and the FAA ended its order to cut flights.[37] The health care subsidies that Democrats had fought for are followed in the arc on the Affordable Care Act under Trump.

Supporting stories (41)
  1. Government shutdown begins as nation faces new period of uncertainty
  2. Vote to end government shutdown fails in Senate as Democrats hold firm on health care demands
  3. Government Shutdown Ends As Trump Signs Funding Bill
  4. 'The RIFs have begun:' White House announces more federal layoffs
  5. Trump administration posts notice that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1
  6. FAA To Reduce 10% Of U.S. Flights At Major Airports Amid Government Shutdown
  7. These 8 senators broke with Democrats on the government shutdown deal. Here's how they explain it.
  8. Schumer warns of a shutdown if Republicans don’t accept Democrats’ health care demands
  9. Senate votes to end government shutdown, sending funding bill to the House
  10. House passes a bill to avoid a partial government shutdown, but prospects in the Senate look dim
  11. Trump cancels meeting with top Democrats as threat of government shutdown looms
  12. Government shutdown draws closer as congressional leaders head to the White House
  13. White House budget office tells agencies to draft mass firing plans ahead of potential shutdown
  14. At the center of shutdown fight, health care is one of the most intractable issues in Congress
  15. Government shutdown begins with Trump, Democrats at impasse
  16. Democrats embrace a shutdown fight in a rare moment of unity against Trump
  17. Senate Democrats, holding out for health care, ready to reject government funding bill for 10th time
  18. Trump administration uses government websites, email messages to pin shutdown blame on Democrats
  19. Trump pauses $2.1B for Chicago infrastructure projects, leveraging shutdown to pressure Democrats
  20. Trump administration threatens no back pay for federal workers in shutdown
  21. More than 4,000 federal workers hit with shutdown-related layoffs, so far
  22. Judge temporarily blocks Trump administration's shutdown layoffs
  23. Fight over government layoffs continues as shutdown drags on
  24. Trump orders Pentagon to use available funds to pay troops amid government shutdown
  25. The September jobs report is delayed by the government shutdown - what was it expected to show?
  26. Federal shutdown cuts off economic data vital to policymakers and investors
  27. Shutdown is costing U.S. economy $7 billion per month, budget office says
  28. Trump administration won't tap contingency fund to keep food aid flowing, memo says
  29. States sue Trump administration over suspension of SNAP benefits
  30. Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
  31. White House says it will partially fund SNAP benefits after Trump threatens to withhold them until shutdown ends
  32. Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November
  33. Supreme Court extends its order blocking full SNAP payments
  34. Some Head Start preschools shutter as government shutdown continues
  35. IRS will furlough nearly half of its workforce as the government shutdown enters a second week
  36. Isolated flight delays may spread as air traffic controllers go without pay during shutdown
  37. FAA lifts order slashing flights, allowing commercial airlines to resume their regular schedules
  38. Shutdown progress in doubt as Democrats grow emboldened from election wins
  39. Trump pressures GOP senators to end the government shutdown, now the longest ever
  40. Jon Stewart Rips Into Democrats For Caving On Government Shutdown: “World-Class Collapse”
  41. Full SNAP benefits to resume in Colorado after federal government reopens

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 106 recorded updates

December 2025

  1. FAA launches investigation into US airlines over flight cuts ordered during the shutdownHeadline from KOB 4 · 7 outlets

November 2025

  1. FAA gives $10K bonuses only to controllers and technicians with perfect attendance during shutdownHeadline from NBC Los Angeles · 16 outlets
  2. FAA lifts order slashing flights, allowing commercial airlines to resume their regular schedulesHeadline from ABC 7 Chicago · 37 outlets
  3. Full SNAP benefits to resume in Colorado after federal government reopensHeadline from Summit Daily · 10 outlets
  4. FAA reduces airline flight cuts to 3% from 6% at IND, 39 other airportsHeadline from WISH-TV Indianapolis · 14 outlets
  5. Government Shutdown Ends As Trump Signs Funding BillHeadline from Forbes · 67 outlets
  6. House returns for vote to end the government shutdown after nearly 2 months awayHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 48 outlets
  7. Jon Stewart Rips Into Democrats For Caving On Government Shutdown: “World-Class Collapse”Headline from Deadline · 9 outlets
  8. Shutdown leaves a mark on an already-struggling economy, from lost paychecks to canceled flightsHeadline from The Columbian · 11 outlets
  9. These 8 senators broke with Democrats on the government shutdown deal. Here's how they explain it.Headline from WFMZ Allentown · 15 outlets
  10. Senate votes to end government shutdown, sending funding bill to the HouseHeadline from CNN · 43 outlets
  11. Speaker Johnson says House will return to Washington for voting on shutdown dealHeadline from ABC 7 Los Angeles · 9 outlets
  12. Trump administration demands states 'undo' full SNAP payouts as states warn of 'catastrophic impact'Headline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 31 outlets
  13. Air travelers face frustration as FAA's further drop in flights takes effectHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 9 outlets
  14. Supreme Court extends its order blocking full SNAP paymentsHeadline from NBC10 Philadelphia · 34 outlets
  15. 9,000 flights cut amid shutdownHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 29 outlets
  16. Flight cancellations and delays worsen as government shutdown drags onHeadline from KOB 4 · 12 outlets
  17. Travelers face mounting delays this weekend as airlines cut hundreds of flights due to the shutdown. Here’s what to knowHeadline from KTVZ Bend · 11 outlets
  18. Trump administration renews Supreme Court appeal to keep full SNAP payments frozenHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 58 outlets
  19. Shutdown progress in doubt as Democrats grow emboldened from election winsHeadline from WDIO Duluth · 9 outlets
  20. Travel disruptions expected to continue after end of government shutdownHeadline from Foxla · 29 outlets
  21. US airlines again cancel more than 1,000 flights on second day of cuts tied to government shutdownHeadline from WMUR · 36 outlets
  22. FAA To Reduce 10% Of U.S. Flights At Major Airports Amid Government ShutdownHeadline from Forbes · 62 outlets
  23. Schumer Shutdown Nears End After 41 Day StandoffHeadline from The Daily Caller · 9 outlets
  24. Watch Live: House set to vote Wednesday on bill to end government shutdownHeadline from Fox5 Atlanta · 8 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →